Video

VIDEO - WHAT'S NEW - MOVIE REVIEW

January 1, 1999

MOVIES

The Avengers (Warner, 90 minutes, PG-13, priced for rental): The stars of this star-spangled turkey are Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman. They assume the roles of British secret agents John Steed and Mrs. - never Ms. - Emma Peel that were originated in the '60s by Patrick Macnee and (sigh!) Diana Rigg on the stylish Avengers TV series.

Appearing here as the heavy - an evil weather-controlling wizard called Sir August De Wynter - is Sean Connery. After this utter fiasco, he might consider revising his ``never say never again'' policy.

Not that a sequel is especially likely, you understand.

If you are drawn to this video solely by a desire to see Thurman in her skin-tight ``catsuit'' or Fiennes in his impeccably tailored Saville Row togs, you'll get what you pay for. But if you're also hoping for fun and excitement, not to mention a coherent story line, you'll doubtless be disappointed.

Director Jeremiah Chechik tries to recapture the unique mix of high camp and straight-faced action that was such a treat on the old TV show. But achieving that combination is a difficult balancing act, and Chechik is no Nadia Comaneci.

Not when he dresses his villains in big, pastel animal outfits.

A trademark of the series was the bright repartee between Steed and Peel, but screenwriter Don Macpherson seldom comes close to achieving that level of wit. And on those rare occasions when Macpherson does get within shouting distance of it, Chechik generally spoils things with pushy background music.

The marvelously ambiguous relationship between Steed and Peel that series fans cherish is badly botched. Where the filmmakers go wrong is in missing the point that while the characters may joust with each other, they must not be seen to take their competition seriously.

Each must know that, though their spheres are separate, they are equals. And each must possess a nearly perfect unflappability.

Eric Stoltz, who's in all these trendy movies, stars as Lester Grimm, a preternaturally jealous 31-year-old substitute teacher (and aspiring writer). Lester is so jealous, in fact, that when he questions his girlfriend, Ramona (Annabella Sciorra), about why she slept with him on their first date, she accurately accuses him of being jealous of himself.

Lester's jealousy reaches George Costanza proportions when he joins a therapy group in order to spy on one of Ramona's old boyfriends, a hot young author (Chris Eigeman) who has written a generation-defining book called Post-Euphoria. That, of course, is when the ``fun'' begins.

Mr. Jealousy was written and directed by Noah Baumbach, whose first film was the funnier, hipper Kicking and Screaming (1995), which also featured Stoltz (natch), not to mention Eigeman.

Mr. Jealousy tries so hard to be hilarious and contemporary that the strain often shows. It manages to be both only occasionally, as when a character's stutter is referred to as a ``disfluency.''

Actually, Stoltz isn't bad. He has a casual touch that's just right for this sort of movie.

Putting in an amusing cameo is director Peter Bogdanovich, who plays the owlish shrink in charge of the therapy group. And Carlos Jacott (who has actually appeared on Seinfeld as well as in Kicking and Screaming) is sometimes very funny as Lester's best friend.

BASEketball (Universal, 104 minutes, R, priced for rental): Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Yasmine Bleeth, Jenny McCarthy, Robert Vaughn and Ernest Borgnine star in this knuckleheaded comedy about a hapless slacker duo - played by South Park creators Parker and Stone - who hit on a new sport that becomes the national rage. David Zucker directed (and co-wrote) this shameless lampoon of professional sports, which is full of sophomoric sight gags and cheerleaders in kinky couture.

Bram Stoker's the Mummy (A-Pix, 100 minutes, R, $94.98): Louis Gossett Jr., Amy Locane, Eric Lutes, Victoria Tennant and Richard Karn star. When a scientist is found unconscious in the basement of his mansion, his daughter and an Egyptologist try to find out what happened.

Montana (Columbia Tri-Star, 96 minutes, R, priced for rental): Kyra Sedgwick, Stanley Tucci, Robin Tunney and John Ritter star in a story in which an assassin must retrieve his boss's runaway girlfriend.

Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Warner, 123 minutes, R, priced for rental): Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, Lela Rochon, Larenz Tate, Little Richard and Paul Mazursky star in this glossy tale about the life and loves of Frankie Lymon, the '50s singing sensation who sold millions of records, ended up broke and addicted to dope and apparently was married to three women at the same time. Like a doo-wop Rashomon, the tale is told from the wives' points-of-view. DOCUMENTARIES

The Free Willy Story: Keiko's Journey Home (Discovery Channel, 52 minutes, not rated, $14.98): Rene Russo narrates this look at the real-life survival story of Keiko the killer whale.

People of the Forest: The Chimps of Gombe (Discovery Channel, 90 minutes, not rated, $14.98): Donald Sutherland narrates this look at wildlife photographer Hugo van Lawick's time in the jungles of Tanzania.